Here I Am | Pr Joel Vijay

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Today. We're going to look into John twenty one. The

book of John twenty one is probably the last chapter,

Thank you x TV, and we're going to read that.

How many have you excited to read the Bible? All right,

let's read that together. It's a lot of reading today.

I hope you're excited. Some of you might be your

first time reading it this week, hopefully not, but let's

read it. John twenty one, verse one two four. First,

after these things, Jesus showed himself again to the disciples

at the sea of Tiberius. And in this way he

showed himself. Simon Peter Thomas, called the twin Nataniel of

Kina and Galilei, the sons of Zebedee, and two others

of his disciples were together, and Simon Peter said to them,

I'm going fishing, And they said to him, we are

going with you also. And they went out immediately got

into the boat, and that night they caught nothing. But

then the morning had now come, and Jesus stood on

the shore. Yet his disciples did not know it was Jesus.

Next first. Then as they as soon as they had

come to land, they saw a fire of coals there,

and they fish laid on it and bread, and Jesus

said to them, bring some of the fish which you

have caught. And Simon Peter went up and dragged the

net to the land full of fish one hundred and

fifty three. And although there were so many, the net

was not broken. And Jesus said to him, or said

to them, come and eat breakfast. Yet none of the

disciples they asked, who are you, knowing it was the Lord.

And Jesus came and took the bread and gave to them,

and likewise the fish. And this is now the third

time that Jesus showed himself to the disciples after he

was raised from the dead. Right, that's nine verse fourteen.

There I want to talk to you about Jesus showing

up in our lives. How many of you you're praying

God show up anyone here like you're in this place

and you're thinking, like, Jesus, are you there, Jesus, are

you alive? I mean, I'm here to tell you that

Jesus life, God is real. If you don't know Jesus yet,

he is the God who died and rose again for us.

And I'm here to introduce you to a God that's

not just hanging on the cross or god that's in

the past, but a God that journeys with us and

when we are trusting him, when we were going through

not just the highs but the loss as well. Peter

is this guy who followed Jesus. This year we're talking

about what's the theme for this year. Disciple first, right,

we're talking about disciple shape. And I thought like, hey,

Peter is this guy who followed Jesus really closely. And

when Jesus was crucified. Guess what happened? Peter? How do

you think? What did Peter do when Jesus was crucified?

What what happened? What's the first thing you remember? What Peter? Anyway,

he he was afraid. What else did he do? He

denied Jesus three times and then before the fried chicken crows,

Now thanks, yeah, but before I think Jesus said before

you before the crows, before the chicken crows, right, yeah,

before you hear that the crow three times? Right, like

like you hear that you would deny me? And Peter

was this guy who's like Jesus, I will follow you

to the ends, right, I would die for you. And

Jesus say is no, you would deny me. And it

happened before the cock crows. Three times you would deny me,

and he was He wept bitterly, and Jesus was crucified.

I'm giving you a context that this is after he crucified.

And he says, yeah, that he appeared three times to

his disciples, then this is the time that he's appearing.

And Peter was in a place of discouragement. So I

want to bring you this thought that, hey, in our

journeyway Jesus, we can be disappointed, we can be discouraged. Peter,

the disciples, the people who are closest to Jesus even

felt like, you know what, where is Jesus? I thought

I trusted him? And Peter did the very thing that

most of us do in our discouragement. Go back to

doing what we used to do. It's our habits that

we But I want you to just take. If you're

a pen and paper, take note that number one. Jesus

will show up. That's my first point. He will show up.

Because you read the first verse again, it says after

these things Jesus showed himself again to the disciples, and

in this way. He showed himself in this way. So

sometimes we expect Jesus to come and show up in

a way that we think is best. But Jesus shows

up in ways that sometimes we don't expect, not the

way that we expect. When we were in I'm going

to share with you that when we were in London,

we were visiting Pastor Dave and cant while coordinators there.

This is many years ago, like twenty sixteen, twenty seventeen.

You're visiting the and then they said like, hey, go

around the town. And then we were trying to get Uber.

So this was twenty seventeen trying to get Uber. So

the first time we got to Uber and we went around,

we were like yay, we took the train, we took

the Uber. And the first Uber that we got on

the this one was what cow was it? Some merce

cities right, normal price but it's not even premium. Suddenly

what showed up with this Mercedes band. So we went

like wow, for like four pounds we get a mercy.

This bends right right. Maybe it's just as we never

said there in that cause we're like, wow, this luxury

vehicle for just four pounds, unbelievable. And we went around town,

we took some photos. Then we were realizing, oh, no,

the time is We agreed with Bussy Dave and Buzscanda

we're going to meet them for dinner. We're gonna be late.

So we're trying the Uber again. And then there was

only two options standard it and premium, and the price

was the same at that point, so we were like,

no brainer, right. You see premium, you see XL and

next to the premium it says Excel, right, so we're

thinking like wow, who we didn't want premium Excel right.

I was thinking some hummer is gonna pull up, right,

So we had Nandelias told me, she said, you know what,

let's just go for this XL. We need a space,

and so we ordered it and we were like waiting

and waiting and then it says approaching, approaching, and this

is what showed up. Right. So this Excel car that

showed up and it was for special needs and the

first thing the driver got down and said like, so,

where's your wheelchair? And we were like, uh, we don't

have a wheelchair. Day said no, you asked for XL.

You asked for special assistance and we were like, uh,

and that that we realize that, you know what, We're

just gonna jump into this car because we're going to

be late anyway. And here's where I want you to

know that we got to the dinner in in time.

So I want you to know that help did come.

Help will come in ways that you don't expect. It

did come. We told bus the day and we didn't

know how this thing works here. We didn't know, but

I said, thank God that He's sent us special assistance anyway,

because we made it in time. We made it in time,

and I'm here to share with you that you know what.

God shows up in ways sometimes you never expect. Don't

forsake and say like, Lord, are you here? It's okay

to ask God, Lord, are you here? Because God will

show up. He's asking us today is will you be present?

Are you seeking me? So number one know that you

know what He will show us, won't you hold on?

Psalm thirty verse five, It says his anger is but

for a moment, his favorite is for life, weeping met

in deal fornight, but what joy comes in the morning.

I'm here to tell you that there are people here.

I prayed about this over the weeks, and God is

saying that the two groups of people that he wants

to minister to, especially in this season, one is people

who are tired. Maybe it's a long weekend this weekend. Yes,

Medeka especially may be are tired. Maybe you've been serving

and you feel like God, won't you just show up

like that? Yes, you feel like God, I just show up.

I just need to hear from you. Or maybe there's

a second group. There's one first w is you're weary.

I can tell you is maybe you've walked away from Jesus,

and I'm here to tell you that you know what

Jesus wants is walking towards you. He's at the shore,

He's like at this breakfast. He's like, hey, guys, children,

do you have any food? They're like nothing, nothing. You

feel like you're empty. And God is saying, you know what,

maybe you walked away from me, but I'm still here

here I am. And maybe you felt like I angered

God by what I did and I'm just speaking to

I'll be real like, maybe you felt like you told God,

are you You did some things in your life, your

personal life that you felt like I didn't make him smile.

I disappointed God. And what does God's words say here?

His anger is but for a moment, but what his

favorite is for life? So he's God angry with you. No,

I'm here tell you call is not agree with you.

His favor is with you, weeping mate, and your for night,

maybe yesterday some of you I don't know who are you.

Maybe you're crying yesterday, or you're weeping, you're thinking about

something that you're discouraged. It might go true for night.

But His joy is here this morning. And God wants

to you know that, you know what. There's a newness

that's coming upon here. If you would just show up

as well. God is here Moses. Let's read Eutronomy thirty

one and says Moses called Joshua and said to them,

in the side of all Israel, be what strong enough

good courage? For you must go with this people to

the land which the Lord has sworn to his father's

to give them, and you shall cause them to inherit it.

And the Lord, he is one who goes before you.

He will be with you. He will not leave you,

nor forsake you. And do not fear nor be this mate.

God is with us. One Peter five US seven, six

and seven says, humble yourselves in a mighty hand of

the Lord, that he may exalt you. A lot of

times we sing we will exalt Jesus. Right he I'm

going to tell you that you know what. Jesus wants

to lift you up as well, from your discouragement, from

your pain, from your the place of like despair. You're thinking,

like I want to give up. Maybe he walked away.

God is saying I will lift you up, but you

need to humble yourself and ask for help. Humility is

saying I don't have it together. Jesus, honey, how And

then he will say, you know what, I'm gonna lift

you up, casting all your care upon him, for he cares.

And so someone here you're asking God, do you even

care today's coming? Like I care? I'm here? Would you

believe me? Matthew twenty eight one more verse yere says,

go therefore, favorite risks for this year. Go therefore make

disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of

the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

teaching them to observe all things that have commanded to

you and what lo I am with you always even

to the end of the age. Amen. Today, I thought

we'll talk about that word low because you think, hello,

I say, I have a friend named Albert Low. But

this is not that low. Okay, maybe if a friend

named low, low means what two behold, low means to behold.

So I give you more contexts read. This is what

the concordance is That low means you're bidding the reader

or hearer to attend to what said to behold to see.

And it it's used, it's inserted in the discourse after

a genitive absolutely, meaning you're saying it's inviting the readers

to pay attention. Meaning every time you read the Bible

it says behold is saying hey, pay attention. But not

just that. Every time it is used, it's saying, you

know what, that's absolutely what's absolutely means one hundred percent.

In Australia, when we ask someone like hey, let's see

you ask them a question. I'm like, hey, do you

love Durian? They go like one hundred percent. They don't

even use yes, they use one hundred percent. I'm like, uh,

do you love tennis? One hundred percent. So when you

see the word behold, and he says behold, I'm with you.

Jesus is saying one hundred percent. I'm with you one

hundred percent. I'm going to journey with you. If you say, God,

I want to pay attention to you. To God is saying,

I'm going to show up. I'm here. Won't you behold?

Won't you pay attention? Won't you give me one hundred percent?

Because I'm going to show you where the fish. I'm

going to show you where the favor is. That's God.

And so I'm here to tell you that number one,

like I said, he is here. He will show up.

Let's pay attention. And in our journey with Jesus, we

can feel lost. Let's be real, we can feel lost.

But Jesus is here too so that we can be found.

He finds us, even the disciples, and he is with us.

So tell your tell your neighbor. Lo, he's with us.

That's number one. Number two is here his voice. Here

is voice. Read John twenty one forty eight that says

he said to them castanet on the right side of

the boat. If the disciples didn't hear Jesus, they were

just throw the net right. You don't know where, but

he says, cast a net on the right side of

the boat and you'll find some. And then you read

that verse in verse seven, it says the disciple whom

Jesus loves said to Peter, it is the Lord. And

now when Simon Peter heard it was the Lord, he

put on his outer gumen, which he removed, and he

jumped tow hist Jesus. That's that's something that we need

to capture. Is God does speak. How do you think

he speaks? Anyone here? You're praying that God speak to me.

I'm here tell you that God usually speaks. I haven't

heard God uppere. I know you watch some Lion King

and some Narnia appears a lion in the sky. I

love Walt Disney. I love that I used to work

with the TV industry, so whenever I read the Bible,

my brain goes into movie mode. That's why I'll give

you a glimpse of Like where I used to work

before joining full time is I was working with a

TV channel called Channel V, so they produce mtvs. I

don't think they do now they do a lot of

and I used to be editing. I used to be

writing scripts for the advertence for the ads, and I'll

be watching TV the whole day. Right, this is what

I do. It's part of my life. It's like knowing

what's out there, what's on media and stuff like that,

and so it plays my head and I always ask God,

God speak to me. And the funny thing is He

didn't speak to me treat a TV. But it gives

me images, gives me dreams. He gives me visions sometimes

in my head and go like wow. But it doesn't

happen all the time, always of the time. You know

how God speaks. It's a simple text. This is the

word of God. So if you want to know where

God is leading us, you have to know his word.

In our relationship. I know when Dylan, now, when we

were dating, she was in Adelaide. This was like I know,

many years ago. Uh, don't reveal our age, bringers cross. Okay,

So we were she was in Adelaide and she was

working then, and we were doing long distance. I wouldn't

recommend it to everybody. Uh, and we're doing long distance,

and we were great at doing long distance actually because

we just leave we just talk a bit the phone

out and then she's like, are you in a traffic

jam in Kassas. I'm like, yeah, how do you know?

I said, I can tell from your voice. I'm like, okay,

how did she know? Right? How did you know I'm

on this traffic jam in Kassas? And maybe habits Maybe

we've been on the phone so long that you know where,

you know where you're at. And that's how it is

with the word of God as well, that when you

spend time with God, you know what he's leading you to.

So much so that when we did long distance, we

were great at long distance. When Dealer came back, she

came to Malaysia and she says like, hey, let's work

on this towards marriage. And we were in the car

and we're having this conversation and then she looked at

me and she's like, do you mean that for real?

I can't tell? Can you call me on? So I

had to call her to convince her because she said,

I'm not used to your face. I'm used to your

voice because I can't tell from your face. But when

I hear your voice, I know the tone and I

know if you're serious or not. On your face, you

look like you're kidding, you know. So she told me that,

I'm like, okay, you know what, call right, Hi did,

I'm not kidding. I really mean this is okay, all right?

And that's how it is. Sometimes. I'm here to tell

you that we may not see God's face, but you

know his word. His word will lead us. His word

is a lamb onto our feed, a lot onto our

path read Psalms one hundred and nineteen. That word will

just lead us. I'm here to tell you that, hey,

you know what, sometimes we don't see God moving, but

you know his word, and his word will lead us.

The blind man Luke eighteen, there was a story of

a blind man. I'm here to give you that example

that even a blind can no and get perspective. It

says here Luke eighteen, that there was this blind man.

I'll give you this quick scenario. The blind man was

asking the people around, like, hey, what's happening? And then

they say, Jesus of Nazareth right here a multitude. He says,

what's happening, Jesus Nazareth is coming, and he cried out, Jesus,

son of David, have mercy on me. So the people

told him Jesus of Nazareth. What did the blind men

call out Jesus son of David. Something we can learn

maybe for today is don't let your place or position

define your purpose. Don't let a place our position define

your purpose. The blind man knew that, you know what,

this person named Jesus is not from Nazareth or from

name me a place. It's not like where you're from,

j right, So it's not like Nick from Joor, right

or anyone else. Name my hometown Nigeria, and your your

name Moses from Nigeria. So it's not like go to

Moses from Nigeria. Right. Nigeria is a great place, but

it's doesn't define him. It's Moses, who God has called

that name, Moses, that that calling that comes from God.

So your identity is not found in your place. Your

identity is found in who called you. And so he says,

Jesus son of David, who was David King David, you're

in a bit more Bible study. After David killed Goliath,

guess what saw us? Saul asked who is this guy?

And they said, this is Simon. This is David son

of Jesse, so the person that conquered Goliath. And then

they were like, oh, who's this guy? Who's this little

guy who killed Goliath? And he says like, oh, I'm

just the son of Jesse. It's the person that you're

related to. I'm here to tell you that the blind

man knew. It's not Nazareth that defines Jesus. It's a

calling that God has upon his life, that miracle. So

if you're here, you're saying like, you know what, I

have a condition. The doctors can give you a condition,

you say, a diagnosis. You go like, okay, this is

this is bad news. But who am I. I'm a

child of God. So I'm gonna journey with this. And

God is there the journey with us. He's there to travel,

to go with our ends and our outs, because He

will never leave us nor for sake us. Remember lo,

I am with you one hundred percent, so know that

his word will lead us. What are some benefits I'm

going to give you some benefits of hearing the word

of God. Is it's not just positive encouragement. Some of

you you get text right like your WhatsApp size percent

daily benefits. Good morning, the Lord bless you. Make his

face shine upon you, lift up his confidence, and give

your peace a great word, but not just that. If

you take that benediction and you walk in that power,

you encounter God, the Lord bless you, make his face

shine a pony, lift up his countenance towards you, and

give you peace. Some of us we are going out,

you're thinking like, oh, I can't face my boss today,

I can't face this person at work. Lord, give me

that peace with the busses all understanding. So I'm going

to tell you to use his word because it takes

you from the natural into a supernatural. Takes us from

just being a good text to you know what a

god text from us? Amen? What else? It helps get

faith in and fear out. Some of you need to

get fear out all of us who face discouragement. What

Peter needed is to get faith out, get He needed

to put on faith again and go and meet Jesus.

That's something that we should think about, like, ask God, Lord,

help me in my unbelief. Maybe that's someone here. Lord,

I believe you, but help my unbelief. That's that's what

he gives you wisdom as well. Matthew seven twenty four

to twenty seven says you'll be like a wise man

who builds his house on a rock, the winds, the

rains descended, the floods came, and the winds blew, and

it did not fall. The same thing happens to all

of us, non Christians and Christians. We face rain, we

face storms, face the winds. But what's the difference is

if you baze and you build your life on Jesus

the rock, then you won't fall. So all of this

goes through storms. I'm here to tell you put your

faith in him. It gives you fruitfulness. Who wants to

be fruitful and productive? Read Matthew thirteen, verse twenty two,

two twenty three says, even as you put, you receive

that seed on good ground. And here's the word, and

understand it. You bear fruit and produce. So some of

you you're praying like, Lord, I want to receive that bonus.

I don't know who is that. Maybe it's you, Lord.

I want to receive an in creement. Lord. I want

to go deeper, Lord, I want I'm in this boring

place in my life. I don't want to experience you

anyone here. Don't point to your neighbor, just go like Lord,

that's me, Lord, I want to be fruitful. Take this

word and go like, Lord, I'm holding onto his word. Lord,

may I not just be here but a door lod.

I want to obey. And so God wants you know

that he's here to to give you that fish. And

as we end, that's this story. John twenty one, verse

ninety fourteen. This is how this story ends. That as

soon as they came to land, they saw a fire

of coals there and fish laid on it and bread,

and Jesus said, bring me some of the fish you

have just caught. And Simon Peter went up and dragged

a net to the land full of large fish. How

many fish? One hundred and fifty tree And although there

were so many, the net was not broken. And Jesus said,

come and eat breakfast. When I read this, I think

I shed this in different plants as well. But when

I read this, I went like, wow, this again. My

brain goes into like one hundred and fifty three. Why

cannot be one hundred and fifty four? Why does it?

Why can't be just one hundred fish? Why one hundred

and fifty three? And I was praying, I ask God, Lord,

reveal your word for this time, for today, Because he

says that God gives this daily bread. Right, And so

when he led me to the concordance, and I looked

up one hundred and fifty three in the concordance, I'm

going to show it to you. Anyone knows Greek, try

and print with me. Okay, is this word called he

showed no money, which means what does it mean to

feel shame or to be ashamed of? That word shame?

The word disgrace there one hundred and fifty three means shame.

Who do you think this was for? He asked Peter.

Remember I told you Peter was dealing with what shame? Peter,

who denied Jesus right before he was crucified, deny Jesus,

and he wept bitterly, and he said, oh, I'm ashamed.

And so Peter goes back and he goes back to

fishing and catches nothing again. And Jesus saw them fishing,

and he goes like, you know what, Peter, do you

think that Jesus needed Peter's fish? Because when you read

that again, he says, there was a fire coals there

and fish laid on it already. So do you think

Jesus needed fish to make breakfast? No? Do you think

Jesus needs our money in the offering? No? Do you

think Jesus needs all all talent? No? But we surrender

it to him anyway, like the lad with five lows

and two fish, because when we give our best to him,

he multiplies it into basketsful. Right, there's no leftover. Everyone

is fed. That's the Jesus that he knows that you

know what. Someone here, Maybe you're like Peter, you're dealing

with shame. Maybe you've walked away from God. He did

something that you feel like, Jesus, you won't be happy,

and I don't know where that I can come back

to you. Today's the invitation, he says, like, you know what,

just come back is come with all your fish because

I'm going to help you deal with that shame. I'm

going to give you confidence again. Some of you here,

that's the thing that's stopping you is is you're lacking

that confidence. Maybe you're confident before you knew that my

God will never leave me nor forsake me. But maybe

you forsake him. Maybe you did something that you felt like,

I'm not proud of it, and Jesus is saying it's okay.

Does his anger last forever. No, he's here to say that,

come back, come back, come abide, come back to me.

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a hit for you. God bless